This invention relates to a semiconductor device and more particularly to a semiconductor IC device with reduced crosstalks between adjacent lines.
With the recent development in the manufacturing technologies of semiconductor devices, various components of integrated circuits are becoming miniaturized. As substrates become more densely populated with components, the distance between adjacent signal lines on the substrate is becoming smaller than ever. In a circuit with lines separated only by a small distance, the inter-line coupling capacitance becomes significantly large with respect to the ground capacitance of each line with respect to the substrate. Crosstalks between neighboring lines can cause variations in signal voltages, adversely affecting the safety margin of operation and causing errors in the operation. In circuits like semiconductor memory devices which are required to read and write extremely weak signals, in particular, the problem of crosstalks can seriously affect the reliability of the device.